Grace In The Classroom

I love and value this thought provoking passage written by Francis Su. When I was studying in a college my teacher who was also a poet, was teaching us the difference between the sinful action of a person and the person who did that action. He cited a line from his poem in my mother tongue Gujarati: Tu papasathe nava papi marto..Condemn the sin, not the sinner. We all make mistakes. Nobody is perfect. How do I relate to my mistake, my shortcoming makes a big difference. Do I put myself down and humiliate myself for the mistake I have done or do I assess my mistake and do not equate my mistake with me as a person? In the same way how do I relate to the mistake made by someone like my family member or my friend or by my student? I would assess what the other person did, his action, and not him as a person.

Relationships break down when we condemn the other person. Relationships survive and thrive when we relate to our mistakes and the mistakes of other persons truthfully, empathetically and compassionately. As a teacher I have accessed my students coming from all kinds of cultural and economic backgrounds. I want to be an imperial teacher. I want to be fair in assessing my students. When my student gets a low grade or a failing grade from me, I spend my office hours with such a student and offer my help to work on his academic deficiencies. I cannot have two different standards for assessing my students. I relate to such students with an empathic mind and compassionate heart. This way of relating to people in my life has enriched my heart and my relationships with others. When I relate to people not doing well, with open mindedness and open heartedness, with empathy and compassion I honor their dignity. I would like to conclude my reflections with the wise words of Mother Teresa: Not all of us do great things. But we can do small things with great love.

​Namaste!